Exodus

This week is Exodus. I continue to admit that I know the name Moses...but my knowledge other than that is pretty minimal. This is not anyone's fault. I truly believe that my quest this year is supposed to happen. I have always been meant to create my own path and my beliefs will be after research, understanding and ultimately my decision. Well, I will take credit for this even though some of you reading my blog just laughed. I know you are laughing at the statement "ultimately my decision" but hey...that's where I'm at now.
Exodus. Wow. There's a lot here. I've been reading and wishing I had blogged as I went instead of this once a week-ish business. I'm not liking it and I will be going back to my more frequent blogging.
Chapter 2 is the birth of Moses and he is left in a basket near the Nile and the Pharaoh's daughter finds him and takes him as her own. It is very interesting that he is raised by the Egyptians but does not like them and flees. I wonder if the Pharaoh's daughter told him he was not Egyptian or if he could tell.
Chapter 3 is the burning bush. I'm sorry I know I should be somewhat serious but I just think of the Three Amigos standing at the Singing Bush.
In Chapter 3 God tells Moses that he is to go to the Pharaoh and demand the freedom of the Isrealites. Moses does not feel he is adequate for this task. Chapter 4 God does 3 different acts and gives Moses the ability to prove to the Pharaoh that God is with him.
1. He turns Moses' staff into a snake when it is thrown on the ground which turns back to a staff when Moses picks it up. I am not sure I would ever get my staff back if it turned into a snake.
2. Moses hand will turn leprous (various diseases affecting the hand, not necessarily leprosy - according to my Archaeological Bible) when he places it inside his cloak.
3. Moses is to take water from the Nile and pour it onto dry ground and it will become blood.
Moses meets up with his brother Aaron and they go together to the Pharaoh. God has told Moses that he will harden the Pharaoh's heart. This is interesting to me because God is hardening his heart and then all these plagues follow as a result of the continued hardening. I wonder how hardened his heart would have remained if God hadn't hardened it.
The Hebrew people were to make bricks without straw and were subjected to punishment when they were not able to keep up with their required amount of bricks produced.
Aaron and Moses both threw down their staffs infront of the Pharaoh and they became snakes. The magicians of the Pharaoh did the same and their staffs were then ate by Aaron's snake. The Nile river was turned to blood. Then their was the plague of frogs. Then the plague of Gnats. (which the frogs would have enjoyed) Then the plague of Flies (the frogs would have also enjoyed) Then the plague on Livestock sparing of course the Isrealites livestock, Then the plague of Boils (yuck...I can't imagine how bad it must have smelled after all these plagues) Next up was the Plague of Hail (good thing there weren't insurance companies then) Then the plague of locusts (I'm sure that was loud - frogs would have enjoyed this one too) Then the plague of Darkness. The really interesting thing about the plague of darkness is what I read in my Archaeological Bible about it. It says "The Plague of Darkness was almost certainly a challenge against Ra, an Egyptian sun god. This would have been a direct challenge to the Pharaoh, since Egyptian kings were referred as the sons of Ra." Ch.11 is the Plague on the firstborn. This is where the firstborn Egyptian son from every home as well as the firstborn of the cattle as well will die. However, the Isrealites will not be harmed.
Ch. 12 is the Passover. This is really neat. I really like this because I have heard of the passover but I had no idea what it was! Now I know!!! The lord told Moses and Aaron that on the tenth day of this month a lamb should be slaughtered. It was also careful to mention to only slaughter what will be eaten and if your household cannot eat an entire lamb to invite others and share but it must all be eaten. This is the beginning of rules including to take blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes, eat the meat roasted, Do not leave any of it till morning, any left must be burned, eat with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and staff in hand, eat in haste.
12:13 "The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you." 12:14 "This is a day you are to commemorate, for generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord-a lasting ordinance."
12:42 "Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Isrealites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come."
Ch.13 discusses the consecration of the firstborn. It says the firstborn either man or animal belongs to the Lord. I am just curious what this means. So....are they sacrificed or is it just known that the firstborn holds higher value?
Later in Ch.13 Moses and the Isrealites leave Egypt and head toward the Red Sea. Moses is carrying Joseph's bones because Joseph did not want them to remain in Egypt. The lord guided them by a pillar of cloud during the day or a pillar of fire at night. The Egyptians went after the Isrealites and the Lord gave Moses the power to part the sea with his staff. The sea was parted and the Isrealites walked on dry ground through and when the Egyptians attemtpted to follow the water flowed back and none of them survived. The Isrealites saw this and put their trust in him and in Moses. This is amazing to me. All the plagues and all the other acts weren't enough to prove to them that the Lord was present. Wow talk about skeptics.

That's all for today. Next time continuing on through Exodus starting at Ch.15.